Tough Choices
by NefretForthEmerson
Summary: Joan has to join the swim team. Potential for JA fluff! Changed the rating. Please RR
1. Default Chapter

"Tough Choices"  
  
Disclaimer: I have no legal claim to the show in question. I am making no money from this story.  
  
Author's Note: This is my first JOA fic and sadly I do not get to see this Friday's ep. Unless Dish Network decides to fix things. Reviews will speed up the progression of this story,  
  
Joan was sitting on a swing, thinking about how confused thing were with Adam. Also, she was thinking how she knew that no matter what that she and Iris would never be friends.  
  
"Joan."  
  
She looked up and there he was, the Cute-boy God. "What do you want? Do you want me to make things so bad with Grace or Adam that neither of them ever speaks to me again? Do you want me to make my parents so upset that they kick me out? My life is already in shambles. What more can I do to possibly screw it up more?"  
  
"Be you."  
  
"Oh thanks, that's such a huge help. You really must've spent an age think about that one. Just go away!"  
  
"Ok, I know that you're hurt so I'll leave now. Just a suggestion, the swim team might help."  
  
"Yeah because cheerleading helped so much."  
  
Cute-boy God smiled and walked away with a wave of the hand. "Well you can forget it! I'm done doing your work!" Joan yelled after him. The mothers in the park started protectively holding onto their children.  
  
"It's ok. I'm leaving," she called out to them. She got off the swing and walked home. The scene in the kitchen was a familiar one. Her mom was browning some ground beef on the stove. Kevin was telling a joke and Luke was trying to tell both of them some wacky science fact.  
  
"Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes, sweetie. We're having guests, so wash up," Helen said.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Rebecca and Glynis"  
  
"So it's some sort of freakish couples' dinner? Is this some kind of joke? Is it 'Joan is single, so let's mock her day' in the Girardi house?"  
  
"Glynis is coming over to work on the Chemistry project," Luke said.  
  
"Okay, Rebecca is coming over as a couple thing, but I'll try and turn off my charm," Kevin said with a grin.  
  
"Wow, fabulous, actually I'm not that hungry. Had a couple of poptarts earlier," Joan said as she ran up the stairs.  
  
"Joan!" Helen called up the stairs, but it was too late.  
  
Joan slammed her door shut and signed onto her instant messenger. A message popped up.  
  
HumanRts618: girardi what's up?  
  
JoanJane16: my family  
  
HumanRts618: what's going on?  
  
JoanJane16: it's basically couples' dinner tonight  
  
HumanRts618: what couples?  
  
JoanJane16: are you masochistic grace  
  
HumanRts618: why you asking?  
  
JaneJane16: you know that glynis is here  
  
HumanRts618: so...girardi if this is about you being alone tonight all i can say is  
that you had plenty of chances with rove. Anyways, gotta eat!  
  
Joan leaned back in her chair and started to cry. Sure she'd had a lot of chances with Adam, but she'd been unsure of where to go with her feelings. Now, she was ready to couple and he'd moved onto Iris. The familiar IM ping made her look up.  
  
JARove6: jane  
  
JoanJane16: yeah adam?  
  
JARove6: i was wondering....  
  
Joan breathed in sharply.  
  
JoanJane16: yes?  
  
JARove6: if i could have dinner at your house tonight? we can study afterwards!  
  
JoanJane16: sure, I'll let my mom know that we need one more plate set. bye!  
  
It wasn't what she'd been hoping for, but she'd take what she could get. Joan ran downstairs. "Mom, Adam is coming over for dinner. Is that ok?" she said to her mom.  
  
"Sure honey, will you be joining us too?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just kinda sad when I'm the only one without a person."  
  
"I understand honey. Will he be staying after to study?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Helen looked after her daughter. All she could think of was how much Joan had been hurt in the past couple of months. It was such a shame that Adam had given up on Joan and attached himself to the girl with the squeaky voice.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was full of noise. Kevin and Rebecca were debating fiercely about the newest writer at the paper. Luke and Glynis were talking about the latest scientific discoveries. Will and Helen were trading amusing anecdotes about their days. Only Adam and Joan were quiet. Joan looked over at Adam, smiled at his ski cap, and looked back down. Then, Adam looked up. He saw his Jane, though he felt he had no right to call her "his" Jane. He looked back down, his heart in confusion. The conversations swirled around them and no one else noticed how silent they were. After dinner, everyone else cleared and washed the dishes, made coffee, and left for the living room leaving Joan and Adam sitting at the table, alone.  
  
"Jane...."  
  
"Don't. It's doesn't matter. Let's just get started on our work." Joan bent down and picked up her Chemistry book. Adam looked sadly at Joan.  
  
"Jane, you weren't ready to couple, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, I remember. Let's just start working."  
  
The two of them sat for hours, working over equations and getting formulas just right. Joan was inwardly fuming at Him. Neither of them noticed Glynis and Luke looking for snacks, Helen shaking her head with a sad smile at them, or Will mildly glaring at Adam. "Wow, it's 11. I guess you'd better go. Gotta get my beauty sleep you know."  
  
"Ok, night Joan."  
  
Joan winced at her real name. No matter what she tried to do, no matter how she acted, she never matched up with Adam. She wondered if she ever would. She hurled herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. "What is it going to take? Are you ever going to let me have some happiness?"  
  
Joan sat up at the sound of a new IM.  
  
THEOnE: Joan, I don't keep you from happiness.  
  
JoanJane16: so god's on the web?  
  
THEOnE: A shepherd has to keep up with his flock.  
  
JoanJane16: yeah figures  
  
THEOnE: Joan, I don't ask you to do anything. I merely suggest.  
  
JoanJane16: you know i am tired of that  
  
THEOnE: Tired of what?  
  
JoanJane16: oh, don't act all clueless! you know what i'm tire of! Night!  
  
Joan turned off the sound on her IM and went to bed.  
  
More Author's Notes: I hope that you like it. I started this story sometime in mid-February, so that should explain the whole Kevin and Rebecca thing. 


	2. Secret Revealed

"Secret Revealed"  
  
Disclaimer: The usual stuff  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I hope that you enjoy the end of the fic. Just remember that I am completely neglecting what's gone on in the show for the past month and ½ or so. Also, sorry for taking so long to update, spring break happened. If the spacing is off, I'm sorry.  
  
Read and Review, thanks!  
  
The next morning, Joan looked over at her alarm clock. Joan sat up. She was going to be late to school. She threw on some random clothes, got her stuff together, and ran downstairs.  
  
"I can't talk right now. I have to school. Bye," Joan yelled as she grabbed a bottle of juice and ran out the door.  
  
School was the same old boring, waiting in line with Adam and Grace for late slips. A.P. Chemistry was a snorefest. Ms. Lishak droned on about polymers for what seemed an eon. Joan was relieved when the lunch bell rang.  
  
"Grace, you've got to talk Jane out of her thing," Adam said  
  
"Rove, what are you talking about?"  
  
"He's talking about the fact that I am going to try out for the swim team," Joan explained.  
  
"You know Girardi, I can't figure you out. You do things like join the band and the chess team, which while deemed uncool aren't completely devoid of some worth. Then you go and do something like this which is devoid of any and all worth," Grace said.  
  
"I'm just trying new things. I don't need to do everything, but I'd like to do something other than my homework and watch TV in the afternoon," Joan replied. Grace rolled her eyes at Joan and the lunch period passed in silence.  
  
Joan went through the rest of her day with a dark cloud over her head. She was more than thrilled when the final bell rang until she realized that's she to stay after for tryouts. "God, why do you want this? I mean am I going to save some little kid from drowning?"  
  
"You know the rules," said Cute Boy God.  
  
"Yes, I can never know what's going on, I have free will so I can choose to do what you want or not. Just though you'd like to know that I thing that's crap, free will."  
  
"Why would I lie Joan? Why would I tell you that you had free will if you didn't?"  
  
"You like to mess with me? Doesn't matter anyway, I am off to do your bidding."  
  
Joan turned around and gave an absent-minded wave at God. She quickly changed into her suit and entered the pool area as the coach was starting to take names. Joan signed in and waited to be called.  
  
"You'll be doing heats with each other. Long distance heats will be held in the right two lanes and short distance will be in the left two lanes. Long distance will swim 1,600 meters and short will swim 100 meters plus a 4 x 50 relay. Okay, everyone move!" the coach said.  
  
Joan got in the back of the short distance line. Soon, it was her turn. She walked up to the diving board and dived in at the whistle. Her legs cried out in pain half way through the first length and she really started to struggle when she flipped around to go another length of the pool. She pulled herself out of the pool and tried to catch her breath.  
  
"Girardi, are you ok" asked the coach.  
  
"Yeah, I think that I'm going to call it a day though."  
  
"Ok, thanks for coming."  
  
Joan walked past everybody else who was trying out. Her cheeks burned red when she noticed that a few girls were laughing at her. She threw her swimming gear into her bag and walked out of the locker room and into the arms of Adam.  
  
"Jane"  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
"It's ok Jane. I don't mind you bumping into me."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Jane, can we go somewhere and talk?"  
  
"Sure," Joan walked after him to a bench in front of the school.  
  
"Jane, why are you doing all of these things?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Smashing my art, building a boat, throwing a party when your parents weren't there..."  
  
"Would you accept that I'm just going through a phase?"  
  
"Jane, I may not have known you for an age, but I do know that you aren't going through something."  
  
Joan looked down at her feet. She wanted to tell him what was up but she wasn't sure that he'd understand. "Adam, how good are you at accepting the weird as being a possibility?"  
  
"I'd like to think pretty good."  
  
She took a deep breath. "Do you remember when we first met and I asked about talking to God?"  
  
"Yeah, I remember."  
  
"Well, I lied."  
  
"Lied? About what?"  
  
"Well you said 'oh that'd be weird even for me' and I was all agreement."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Well, um, I don't know how to say this in an un-scary way. Um, Adam, I can talk to God."  
  
"You can talk to.....God?"  
  
"You know that guy that you keep seeing me with?"  
  
"Yeah, what about him?"  
  
"Well, that's God, actually any weird person that you see me talking to is God."  
  
"Jane, I don't what to say."  
  
"It's okay. I knew that it'd do that." She stood up, "We can talk later."  
  
"Jane, don't go."  
  
"Look, you just need to let it sink in. We can talk about it later."  
  
"It has. I mean it's really weird. It's also kind of hard to take, but it makes sense"  
  
"Yeah, it seemed like every time that you and I were moving forward that He'd come and tell me to do something that'd make it come to a screeching halt."  
  
Adam leaned over and kissed her softly, "Well Jane, I think that those days are over. Can I walk you home?"  
  
"Sure let me go and grab my books." She ran up the steps and into the school. 'My Jane,' he thought as he watched her and this time she really was "his". She packed her backpack, turned around and knocked Cute Boy God down.  
  
"I suppose that I should say sorry. So, sorry."  
  
"I've been knocked around before."  
  
"I said that I was sorry."  
  
"I know. So Joan, you told Adam."  
  
"Yeah, have a problem with that?"  
  
"No, you chose well. He won't tell anyone because he loves you."  
  
"Yeah, well I gotta go. Though why did you make me try out for the swim team?"  
  
"I didn't make you do anything and you know that I never tell you why you do things."  
  
"Yeah, you're the king of the abstract," she turned around and half-waved, "thanks for nothing."  
  
She walked out and into Adam's arms. He was hers. She smiled a secret smile and they walked away. Cute Boy God looked out the window at them and smiled.  
  
THE END 


End file.
